The Expanding Medical Education Act would address the lack of representation of Black students, rural students and underserved students in America’s physician pipeline.
U.S. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, joined Sen. Alex Padilla of California today in introducing the legislation, which would specifically encourage the recruitment, enrollment and retention of students from underrepresented backgrounds. Grant funding through the Health Resources and Services Administration would be provided for colleges and universities to establish or expand allopathic or osteopathic medical schools in underserved areas or at minority-serving institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
“Communities of color and those living in rural and underserved areas have long faced significant barriers to health care, including a lack of providers that look like them or practice close by,” Kaine said. “Since research shows that physicians are more likely to practice in the areas they’re from, supporting medical schools at minority-serving institutions and HBCUs in underserved areas can help improve care in those communities. This legislation provides a commonsense strategy for how we can deliver that support and improve care for so many Americans.”
The United States faces a critical health care workforce shortage. The crisis was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, with nearly one out of five health care workers quitting their jobs in the first 18 months of the pandemic. The American Medical Association projects that a national shortage of up to 48,000 primary care physicians and 77,100 non-primary care physicians will affect the healthcare industry by 2034. George Mason University published an analysis last year which stated that while health care-related careers represent the 3rd fastest growing occupation group in Virginia, projections on the growth of health care professions showed that supply will not meet demand in the next 10 years for many health care occupations including dental, primary care, mental health and nursing and allied health. The health care workforce shortage is even more dire in rural communities across Virginia.
“We need to expand opportunities for students of color in medical fields,” Padilla said. “Communities of color have historically been neglected by the medical system and are disproportionately affected by the health care workforce shortage, often lacking access to culturally competent providers. By creating more pathways at minority-serving institutions for diverse groups to enter the health care workforce, the Expanding Medical Education Act would help create a more compassionate and diverse health care environment that better reflects our country.”
The legislation would prioritize grants to institutions of higher education that:
- Propose to use the funds to establish a medical school or branch campus in an area in which no other such school is based and is a medically underserved community or health professional shortage area.
- Are minority-serving institutions, including HBCUs.
Entities receiving grants would be required to report to Congress how they use the funding. Eligible uses for the grants include:
- Planning and construction of a new medical school in an area where no other school is based or a branch campus;
- Activities to meet the accreditation criteria for a medical school;
- Hiring diverse faculty and other staff;
- Recruitment, enrollment, and retention of students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, students from rural and underserved areas, low-income students, and first-generation college students;
- Supporting educational programs; and,
- Modernizing and expanding infrastructure.
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Rebecca Barnabi
